MOLECULAR EVIDENCE FOR PAP-G SPECIFIC ADHESION OF ESCHERICHIA-COLI TOHUMAN RENAL-CELLS

Purpose: To study the interaction between class II G-adhesin of Escher ichia coli and human urogenital cells. Material and Methods: The adher ence of two wild type P-fimbriated E. coli strains, both carrying a cl ass II G-adhesin, and two constructed mutants (one class II G-adhesin knock-out mutant and one class switch mutant in which the papG gene wa s exchanged with a prsJ96 allele which is a representative of the clas s III G-adhesin) to human urogenital cells were examined by light micr oscopy and flow cytometry. Results: The wild type E. coli strains adhe red avidly to proximal tubular cells, but the isogenic mutant strains did only adhere in one of the experiments. A soluble receptor analogue inhibited bacterial attachment. Conclusions: These experiments strong ly suggest that the papG class II tip adhesin of P-fimbriae is essenti al in the pathogenesis of human kidney infection.